AL: In your time at Ag Leader, can you share an achievement or experience you are most proud of and why?
DH: I think my biggest accomplishment in purchasing has been taking on the ordering of load cells. It involves managing parts that are made in three different facilities. I place orders and keep track of how parts are moving along in the process. It has taken several months to organize and accurately sync our demand to the production schedules of each supplier involved. Start-to-finish, the load cell process takes over six months.
AL: If there was one thing you want farmers to know about Ag Leader and the products we create, what would it be?
DH: While much of our focus is on our end customers, purchasing also manages the relationships we have with our suppliers. We work to make sure the parts we buy meet our standards and are ordered and delivered on time. We take the time to visit our suppliers, review their facilities, and confirm their manufacturing processes will provide us with quality parts. We measure and give scorecards to our suppliers based on quality, responsiveness, on-time delivery, and more. I spend my time putting together forecasts, so our suppliers can anticipate our demand and plan accordingly. Some parts are custom made and have long lead times, so planning ahead is critical to having the parts when we need them. We have some fantastic suppliers who have been our partners for many years and understand our business. Placing purchase orders is the easy part when you are working with a good supplier!
AL: What do you like to do in your free time?
DH: In my free time, I spend time with my family, work on house projects, raise backyard chickens, and am involved in our church. My mom has lived with us since my dad passed away as well. I love cooking, gardening, painting old furniture, and reading stories to my granddaughters. •
ABOUT THIS SERIES
In the We Are Ag Leader series, we will introduce you to a wide array of people who work at Ag Leader. Our founder, Al Myers, created Ag Leader in 1992 with one mission in mind: To provide a workplace that challenges and motivates individuals to create and deliver innovative products.
Ultimately, addressing the wants and needs of farmers is our number one priority. We exist to enhance the lives of farmers around the world by developing proven precision farming technology that exceeds farmers’ expectations. •